Federal document provides new details in Vista shooting that injured 8
A federal gun complaint filed against one of four suspects in a weekend shooting that injured eight people reveals new details about the mayhem that rocked Columbia’s popular Vista district early Saturday.
Special Agent Craig Januchowski filed a criminal complaint Tuesday against Maleik Houseal, charging the 22-year-old with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, which carries a 10-year sentence.
The complaint alleges that Houseal violated federal firearms laws by possessing a gun after being convicted of a crime that carries more than a year in prison.
Houseal is one of four men charged by Columbia police in connection with the shooting, which happened just after 2 a.m. outside the Empire Supper Club on the 900 block of Lady Street. Officials have said the shootout between two groups was likely spurred by a music industry-related conflict.
Surveillance video shows Houseal among the people leaving the club as he walks down Park Street toward the parking lot between the Empire club and the neighboring Art Bar just after 2 a.m., according to the complaint. Video shows Houseal go around the corner of the Empire club, to Lady, then returned to Park, backing away from the parking lot.
Houseal turns around and walks back up Park toward Lady, where he is seen on video adjusting a black handgun he had hidden on his person, the complaint states. He again walks down Park.
A Ford Mustang is seen on video pulling out of the parking lot between Empire club and Art Bar, stopping before it pulls onto Park, the complaint says. As Houseal walks back into sight, shots are fired from the Mustang, which pulls onto Park and heads toward Gervais Street.
A Ford Crown Victoria follows and a shot is fired from that car as it pulls from the same parking lot onto Park and heads toward Gervais, the document states. Houseal returns fire to both cars, and is seen returning to the Empire club and ducking down near some chairs outside the club.
A club security guard later found a loaded Ruger 9mm gun stashed in a stack of chairs there, the complaint states. The black gun had what appeared to be a small laser sight attached to it.
At the hospital, Houseal waived his Miranda rights and told officers he was walking toward a car outside Empire “when he felt tension from people in a car,” the complaint states. He said a person standing beside the car shot at him and ran toward him.
Houseal told officers he wrestled the gun away from the person as that person returned to the car, and fired the gun at the car, according to the complaint. The second car pulled out from behind the first car and struck Houseal, he said.
Houseal told officers he did not know where the gun was. Agents note Houseal’s account of the incident “does not coincide with the surveillance video.”
Columbia police said Houseal was released from the hospital Tuesday and jailed on state charges of unlawful possession of a pistol and possession of a weapon by a person convicted of a violent crime. A judge set a $50,000 bond on those charges.
Within hours of the shooting, Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook declared the club a public nuisance and padlocked the doors.
Holbrook met Tuesday with the club’s owner, Joe Stovall, and the two had a “professional, yet frank” discussion in which Stovall laid out steps he is willing to take to ensure the safety of his customers and the public, if the city allows him to remain in operation, a police spokeswoman said. The department is considering Stovall’s proposal, she said.
This story was originally published September 20, 2017 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Federal document provides new details in Vista shooting that injured 8."